


Equilibrium

by ofwrittenwords (tincturedwords)



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Background Stories Explored, Blood, Book Influences, Character Study, Developing Friendships, Friendship, Gen, Glade Life, Glader Slang, Hurt Thomas, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Thomas, Injury Recovery, Later Explanation of Newt’s Limp, Light Angst, References to Newt’s Past Injury, The Glade
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-15 21:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14798376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tincturedwords/pseuds/ofwrittenwords
Summary: A slight AU where Thomas spends five months in The Glade instead of a mere three days due to him being injured worse than originally thought when Ben attacks him.Thus WCKD must delay Teresa’s arrival and the events leading to Phase Two , as I thought it fun to explore a more in-depth version of life there and  his attachments to Newt , Chuck , and the other Gladers.





	1. Settling

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** ¡Spoilers!  & Mild Language  
>  **Rating:** T+  
>  **Spoilers:** The Maze Runner  
>  **Timeline:** Set within Thomas time in The Maze / The Glade , prior to Teresa’s arrival  
>  **Pairings:** None , but feel free to see it as you see it.  
>  **A/N:** I haven’t read the full extent of _The Maze Runner_ book nor have I read the others in the series , thus know that this story is primarily film based  & I apologise if anything here would conflict with the book canon , but I don’t have access to the book at the moment to read the rest of it.  
> No beta thus all mistakes are mine.  
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to _The Maze Runner_. Neither am I associated with the production companies or the actors who portray these characters , nor the author or publishing company. I make no money off any of my stories , this is purely for entertainment purposes.

> "Any fool can know. The point is to understand." **\- Albert Einstein**

The night began to fall away to day , inchings of deep azure and indigo blending with black along the edges of the horizon. Illuminating the outlines of structures and highlighting the silhouettes of objects. Details still remained concealed in long shadows , obscuring their nature unless one stood very near to decipher what the clinging darkness strove keep enshrouded. 

Movement towards Thomas’ right caught his eye. His maroon irises zoning in on the bouncing shadow , squinting against the absent of natural light to help in identifying the form. It’s shape was biped , another Glader then and not one of those creatures belonging to those groseque wails and screeches he heard at the bonfire earlier. Remembering now that both Gally and Alby has reassured him that they all were safe in the Glade , never did those things come into the centre of the Maze during the day nor could they climb the walls far enough to come inside should they ever wish to. They were safe so long as they didn’t cross over into the Maze. 

Yet Thomas found himself desiring , more like longing , to see beyond the walls confining them in the Glade. Curiosity of what lay beyond intermingled with an overwhelming instinct to dessert this place , hey weren’t meant to be here nor would this place provide sanctuary forever. Unable to pinpoint exactly how he knew this nor why it’s was such a strong feeling ; after all , none had shown any direct hatred towards him ( minus Gally , but he seemed the bully he was ) nor did any of them seem in serious danger if they abided as the rules directed. 

His memory loss , selective in allowing fleeting images or ‘gut feelings’ backed by a distorted flashback , had Thomas all the more on edge. Prickly , near agitated , over the most minor of things and struggling to remain level headed enough to convey to the other he could handle more than the others thought he could. He may be very new to their way of living here , but he could still be useful and deserved to know what he’d gotten himself into , even if he couldn’t recall what brought him to this point. 

Thus at noticing a certain pattern to the shadowy form’s movements , it bouncing along not due to sparse lighting nor uneven terrain but due to the gait of the person. And if he had learned one thing by observing his first day here , was that only one person in the entire Glade walked with that sort of limp. 

“Newt!” Thomas called , voice pitched loud enough to catch the other boy’s attention but low enough not to rouse the others in the hammocks , as he scrambled up to his feet and followed after the other boy. 

Turning at the sound of his name , Newt felt an amused smile pull at his lips at seeing The Glade’s latest Greenie jogging to catch up to him. The bewildered look all newbie’s had still held within the other’s features , it’s visibility would wane after a few weeks as it had with all of them. But it never ceased to be funny , and a slight endearing , when each new addition wore the same expression whilst trying to adjust to the new environment and lot in life. 

“Hey , ya al’right there , Greenie ?” Newt asked , knowing the First Day Freak Out sometimes extended past day one and this particular Greenie had seen more his first day than most nowadays. 

Thomas’ brow dipped deeper at the greeting , the other having seamlessly blended companionable concern with a lighthearted cheer that he wondered at the boy before him. How could someone remain so high spirited given their situation ? It both rattled and eased his nerves , too many contradicting emotions the past twenty - four hours left him untrusting of his own feelings. Thus shoving them aside for the moment , he latched onto the reason for calling out to Newt in the first place. 

“Yeah , yeah.” Thomas answered , dismissive of truly answering the other’s query , but at the pulling down of the blond’s smile , he backtracked , “Well , no , but I don’t suppose anyone was at first.”

His speech trailed off in more so a question than a statement. Hoping it’d lead into the topic regarding around the question he’d been curious to ask. 

Newt chuckled outright at that , “No definitely not. Usually takes a week or so before one can settle enough to be al’right.” 

“Yeah , Chuck told me about his first day.” Thomas replied , a small smile pulling at his lips , an expression of both humour and relief it wasn’t he who reacted that way , “Glad to know I wasn’t the worst.” 

“Believe it or not , but Chuck’s wasn’t the worst.” Newt smiled as he spoke , “Seen a few Greenies klunk themselves their first day , not pleasant that but not the worst.” 

“That’s not ?” The question sprang forth past Thomas’ lips before he realised what he was asking. 

Newt glanced away , lips pursed in thought before he broke into another grin , “Not like its a secret , really , but I wouldn’t bring it up to the shank , if I were you. Gally knocked us all flat when he came up. Definitely one of the more exciting Greenie Days.”

Thomas eyes flew wide at that , although he wasn’t necessarily surprise that Gally would do that , but it had him wondering exactly how many were present for the bull of a boy to fight. Certainly not as many as he came up to. 

“How many was ‘all of you’ ?” Thomas asked , wondering exactly how many Gally had taken down. 

It’s certainly alter his opinion of him either way. 

“Ah.” Newt intoned , thinking back with ease , “That’d be Alby , myself , Minho , Nick , Alfred , and George. Had us all on our arses in minutes , the shuckface.” 

The insult was delivered with utmost affection tinged with exasperation over the memory , the day forever burned in the taller youth’s head as one of the most ridiculous New Arrival Days he’d ever encountered. 

“Plenty of buggin’ Greenies come up fightin’ , but never had any of them compared to the amount of mayhem caused in so short amount of time as Gally did that day.” Newt smirked 

“That … isn’t hard to imagine.” Thomas’ opinion of Gally didn’t shift much , though it proved the confrontational Glader held the guts to back up his attitude. 

Newt laughed , eyes crinkling at their edges in true mirth , “Isn’t that the bloody truth of it.” 

Thomas then asked another inquiry without thought to it , “How did you react your first day ?” 

A brief flash of surprise flitted across Newt’s face , eyebrows rising and mouth dropping open slightly , before a twitch of his lips morphed into another smile , “Fair question that. Al’right , I’ll tell ya. I bolted , as you did , but unlike you , I didn’t faceplant within the first hundred metres. Made it to the trees , I did , and hid out for three days.”

Thomas’ own expression reflected his own brand of surprise then , falling back a few strides in their walk , “You did?”

At least now he felt a bit more rational in his knee - jerk reaction to running when faced with forty or so strange boys in a strange place with no memories of who , how , or what to go along with that. It eased the smidges of embarrassment that had slunked around the edges of his mind since arriving here. It truly seemed everyone had been in the same boat as him at one point. 

“Yeah.” Newt’s head bobbed in confirmation , turning to glance back at Thomas as he spoke , “Took Alby two days to talk me int’a camp.” 

After a handful of moments spent in silence , letting the new information soak in and trailing after the other , Thomas asked , “Was it just you two then ?” 

Having twisted to look backward at the brunette lad at hearing speak up again , Thomas was able to visible watch a shadow came over Newt’s features , dissolving the pleasant expression his face held only moments before. It had Thomas wishing he could retract his query. Hating to have dredged up bad memories for one of the few boys he actually liked here , and would hope to call a friend someday. 

“Ah , no. No , Justin and Nick were there too.” Voice a slight thick , Newt gave his answer after moving to face away from Thomas , continuing their walk without anymore comment than that. 

Sensing a topic of discussion that was best left forgotten , or at least saved until a later date , Thomas kept his curiosity in check. Near biting his tongue to ensure his questions remained without an audible voice , although he was certain his interest was visible in his demeanour. Thus he strove to distract his mind with another question , one that would hopefully move away from that line of conversation and be easier to answer.

“Where are we going exactly?” 

A grin sprang forth across Newt’s features , “Now there’s a question I can bloody well answer ! But we’re almost there so I best just show ya since you decided to tag along.” 

Nodding in agreement , silent for the time being , Thomas continued to follow the other boy. Catching up to walk astride Newt in a few longer stride , the pace fell slower than his natural gait due to the other’s limp. Not that Thomas minded. Newt’s limp was noticeably affected the look of his steps , seemed to hamper him none , appearing to be more mobile about the Glade than many of the others and never had he heard any complaint or special accommodation made for him. 

Although , Thomas didn’t doubt one would be made should the other had needed it. This group seemed the sort to stick together. And Newt seemed very well liked , respected even , that it was unlikely he was forced to participate as much as he does if walking bothered him. Concluding then it was by choice , his companion this morning kept an active part in leading and running the settlement here. 

Thomas had to wonder if he could come to integrate himself into this life , into their mismatched family , despite everyone seeming so dedicated to it and set within the natural niche of things here. Thoughts leading towards a more self - criticising path than the original track had begun as , emotions still in an upheaval over everything where to blame he reasoned. A lot had occurred over the last twenty - four hours that he wondered if he’d ever gain a sense of peace that so many here had seemed to achieve. 

“I can practically hear you thinkin’.” Newt’s words called Thomas away from his thoughts.

Thomas’ head jerked up at Newt’s voice , realising the other had been slowing then stopped and Thomas had followed on mere peripheral instinct whilst his retrospections had run away with his attention. 

“Sorry.” Was Thomas quick , lamely places reply. 

Newt shrugged , shaking his head in tandem with the movement , “S’al’right. We’re here though.” 

The last bit was spoken around a massive grin , teeth near gleaming in the rising light of morning , as he leapt forward to grasp a low hanging branch of a tall tree near the South door. Hands enclosing around the rough bark , muscles along his arms straining not when he swung a moment then pulled himself upwards until he could place his legs on the branch and continue his assent up the sturdy trunk. 

Watching in slightly awe , Thomas had yet to move. Continuing to do so until Newt seemed to disappear right before his eyes , causing the burnet to blink harshly in astonishment. Stepping back then forward with a squinted gaze in an attempt to locate the other boy. It wasn’t until he heard a chuckle then saw the blond’s head peer around what he now noticed was a thick outcropping of individual branches tied together , not a separate section of the main trunk , to create an undefined version of a flet that concealed the slighter boy. 

“C’mon up !” Newt called down , “You watched me do it , now you !” 

Thomas stood back to access the path up the tree Newt had taken , tracing the proper nooks for his feet and handholds upwards before too leaping forward to pull himself up the same way he’d seen Newt do. Easily transcending the branches , the massive tree unyielding in its strength despite the light breeze and weight placed upon its boroughs. 

A moment later Thomas was swinging up next to Newt , the other scooting over to allow him space to sit alongside him. The small flet was integrated near seamlessly into the tree’s counteramce and much larger than Thomas had first thought , accommodating their lithe forms and leaving enough room at their sides to dispel with any fears falling over the edge. 

“So how you really holdin’ up ?” Newt asked , settling in his seat with his good leg hanging over the edge and his other folded up to his chest that his corresponding arm rested on. 

Thomas made a noncommittal sputtering sound , shrugging a single shoulder. Shifting his own legs that lay over the edge of the flet , absentmindedly letting them sway back and forth in need of some activity to abate the idleness. Despite the lack of sleep and early hour , Thomas felt overly energised. Abundant nerves , innate curiosity , and overwhelming desire to have his confusion sedated , all combined to fuel his temperament of the morning. 

“You said absolutely no words , but that’s the best bloody way I’ve seen it put.” Newt had to chuckle at Thomas’ expression , both physical and verbal. 

They had all been there in the their beginnings. No memory of anything beforehand , not knowing themselves , not even their names until an indeterminable time later when they came back. Nothing else to return to their minds. Add in being thrust into a world filled with monsters out for blood and flesh , where survival depended upon your strength of person and contributions to the Glade as a whole. It was a lot to take in. Everyone understood it , experienced it firsthand , and , despite their humour found in the floundering of the Greenies , helped in every way to ease the new one’s transitions. 

Some still reacted better than others. Newt felt Thomas was handling it well , although more dangerously curious than most. Keeping his ears perked towards his companion , but not wanting to appear overly attentive , he glanced out over the Glade. A warming light from the rising sun was beginning to peak over the tops of the walls , piecing the east facing edges of the Glade , inching its way along the massive field and forest that comprised the foliage of their current home. 

Soon it’d bath the entirety of the compound , its brightness would elicit the waking of even the most stubborn of risers. That , or an eager someone would be sent with a water bucket after those still lazing in their hammocks. It seemed Thomas was more alike to Newt in being an early bird , although he tried to keep assumptions away from concrete thinking and those taken as fact until a few days passed a Greenie’s christening , in order to allow the newness to fade and habits to form. Thus allowing their true character to manifest. 

Expelling a breath through his mouth that could have been interpreted as a soft laugh , Thomas nodded , allowing a small smile to turn up a at the corners of his lips. Staring at his hands a moment , still rather incredulous over the world he had landed himself in. 

“Just I have so many questions.” Thomas near exploded in his speech , a mild anger rising to colour his tone , directed more at the entire situation than specifically Newt , “But no one seems willing to answer them. Or even seems to have any answers to give.” 

Newt pursed his lips , features appearing contemplative yet frowned in distaste.. Russet coloured eyes narrowed against the sunlight and in reflection of his thoughts , knowing this Greenie was different than most who’d come up but also knowing they had rules set for a reason. Ones that’d worked all these years and ones not easily broken simply because a curious newbie asked. 

“See the thing is , we don’t tell Greenies everything in one go.” Newt finally gave a voice to his thoughts , expression faltering none and his tone matched the gravity his features displayed , “Learned from experience we did with that. Frightens the bloody hell right out of ‘em. So it’s best to ease into it , trust me , we aren’t being secretive because of trust issues. It’s us tryin’ to protect you , mate.” 

Gaze flicking from where it’d drifted to follow Newt in observing the brightening of the day towards the other , vaguely stunned at the admittance as it seemed to be one of the most honest thing he heard since arriving here , Thomas had to wonder what exactly they all felt so strongly to protect the new ones from. For the first time he questioned himself in if he truly wanted an answer to his curiosity , but in the next moment he knew he’d never be satisfied with being kept in the dark. And if he was to truly ‘do his part’ as the first rule stated , he’d have to know all there was to be told about this place. 

“I’d rather know than not know.” Thomas blurted out , “I mean it’s great that you all want to protect the newbies , I understand that , but I can’t help or focus when there’s so many questions left unanswered when you or anyone could easily give me those answers.” 

Newt had turned to stare at Thomas when he spoke up , openly eying the other boy with an unreadable expression. Gaze dark and features shuttered , it appeared another boy sat before Thomas than the one he came up here with. An odd look that had it finally clicking for Thomas why Newt was chosen as the second - in - command. 

“I get that , and you’re more likely to find out the hard way if no one does tell you.” Newt finally responded , “Can’t say I’ve got all the answers , but I’ll bloody well give you all I got. Meet me here each morning ? Then no’ne will know it was I who spilt the beans to the Greenie.” 

And as if a switch had been flipped , Newt smiled once more. All sternness about his expression cleared , leaving him looking far younger than his years or experiences told. Thomas took a moment to blink at the sudden change , scrambling mentally to catch up when Newt continued talking. 

“For now we best be joining the others as wake up’s now and breakfast will be gone before you know it.” Newt slapped a hand twice on Thomas’ knee , in a rougher version of a good natured pat , before gathering his legs beneath himself to stand and move towards the ladder. 

Thomas paused to stare a moment longer out over the Glade , basking in the atmosphere as the quiet of dawn was broken by muted movements below ; Gladers waking others up , moving about their morning routines , and generally listening to the entire camp gain life once more. 

Newt popped his head back up , brow pinched at noticing Thomas hadn’t moved but his tone remained light when he called out to the other boy , “Ya comin’ ?” 

“Yeah , yeah !” Thomas affirmed , pulling his legs up from over the edge to stand upright and join Newt in descending the branches , wondering still why they were put here and what his purpose was in being apart of it. 

_TBC._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** All right so there’s the first bit , hope you enjoyed it  & if you wish to , please tell me how you liked it. Whether for the good or bad.
> 
> The next chapter will have the more exciting bits , with Ben’s attack & the subsequent events there after. I would have had it in here , but all of it just blew the word count past a reasonable chapter length so I decided to spilt it up into two. If life decides to be kind , the next part should be up by the end of next week.
> 
> Again I apologise about the blending of canons , or about any conflicting topics or inconsistencies I may have had in this. Feel free to tell if I did anything overtly ghastly. I always welcome criticism.


	2. Disruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** ¡Spoilers! Language , Blood , Descriptions of Injuries , Descriptions of Pain , Canon Typical Violence , Descriptions of Canon Typical Creatures ,  & Mild Gallows Humour.  
>  **Spoilers:** The Maze Runner  
>  **Timeline:** Set throughout The Maze Runner , prior to Teresa’s arrival  
>  **Pairings:** None , but feel free to see it as you see it  
>  **Word Count:** 8k+  
>  **A/N:** I am beginning to blend more books aspects with film canon since I actually acquired the book again much sooner than I had anticipated. But this is still primarily film based , just know some minor spoilers for the book lay within  & ahead.  
> This chapter is a direct follow up to the last one.
> 
> * * *
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to The Maze Runner. Neither am I associated with the production companies or the actors who portray these characters , nor the author or publishing company. I make no money off any of my stories , this is purely for entertainment purposes.

> _"Behind every beautiful thing, there's some kind of pain."_ **\- Bob Dylan**

Breakfast was a crowded but overall quiet affair. Much more subdued than last night’s meal , lack of celebration and whatever was in Gally’s secret recipe for those honey - coloured drinks seemed to have placated a majority of the Glade’s occupants. Most going about their meal in silence next to equally silent friends , or some chatting in whispers with the person seated beside them.

The procedure seemed simple enough to Thomas , merely wait your turn in line to be served whatever Frypan and his fellow cooks had made for that meal. From eyeing the others’ plates , it looked to be bacon , eggs and bread his morning. He wondered if it was a recurring theme for breakfast as their appeared to be less enthusiasm than usual for it. He had to wonder if there was any truth to the spoken misgivings about Frypan’s cooking. 

“Thanks , Frypan.” Newt’s voice drew Thomas away from his internal observations , to realise it was his turn. 

Setting his bowl down , the Keeper of the Cooks dropped a full ladled of eggs into the flat bowl before slapping two slices of bacon onto it as well.

“Grab bread , if you want it.” Frypan nodded towards his left as he spoke , “Berries too , if you got a sweet tooth like Newt there.”

The lad in question paused with a handful of berries held within his grasp partway from the serving bowl to his own. Eyes momentarily wide as if he was caught getting up to mischief before breaking into a cheeky grin and he placed the purplish berries on his plate. 

“Better sweet than salty.” He shot back , a seemingly well practiced phrase lathered in all knowing mirth. 

Frypan shook his head , exasperation seeping from his tone , “Nah , Shank. Salt always beats sweet!” 

Newt chuckled , giving the cook a placating nod , “Sure , mate. Sure.” 

It seemed an age old argument between the two. 

Picking up a slice of bread , Thomas merely watched the friendly interaction with his own small smile. Moving to grab his own handful of berries as Newt continued on , curious over the taste of the tiny purple fruits and wondering if he did have a sweet tooth. 

“Hey!” 

The jubilant voice cut through any further thoughts Thomas could give on the subject. Chuck lumbering up to his side a moment later , a large bite of the flatbread already in his mouth that he chewed in a starved hurry. It doing little to dampen the grin he plastered on at seeing Thomas had slowed to wait for him. It had been originally done more so in startelement over the suddenly loud sound than to truly wait for the youngest to catch up , the older didn’t mind eating his morning meal in Chuck’s company. Even if it meant it not being as quiet of a meal as Thomas first thought. 

Looking up to survey the eating area , which was more of just a large patch of lush grass underneath several shade trees with a few logs set around as benches , before him. Noticing Newt had chosen to sit on the ground with his back rested against one of the log benches near Alby and a Glader he had yet to meet in person. At seeing he wasn’t being waited on , Thomas moved around the sparsely ensembled Gladers over to the base of a tall tree , Chuck following him obiently. 

“Where were you this morning ? Woke up and you were gone.” Chuck asked around another mouthful of food after they sat down. 

It took Thomas a moment to decipher the other’s words , them being so garbled due to the kid’s inability to talk between bites instead of during. 

Rolling his eyes , Thomas paused in taking his own bite to answer , “I woke up early. Newt showed me around some more.” 

Not elaborating anymore since he wasn’t certain if the flet Newt showed him was known by most , or any at that. Lifting his spoonful of eggs to his mouth , they were scrambled to hell thus fell apart easily but were still well seasoned and fluffy. Not bad , even good , in Thomas’ opinion. The bacon was just as good as the night before ; warm , tender and greasy. He wolfed it down with the same enthusiasm he had last night and wished they were allotted more than two slices. Although the bread was exceedingly plain , it soft and filling for a hungry belly. 

“He show you a Griever ?” Chuck asked , voice a mix of intrigue , fear and apprehension. 

Thomas nearly choked at hearing that question and reading into the implications of it. Dropping his spoon to clatter onto his bowl , he coughed harshly. Instinctively folding an arm up to cough into his elbow. 

Chuck blinked at the severe adverse reaction , eyes now wide , he reached over to slap Thomas’ back , “Jeez. You’re supposed to swallow , not inhale , the eggs.”

A few eyes were drawn towards the sudden display , but when they noted Thomas’ cough quieting as the Greenie slipped from his water cup , they moved back to their own business. Some smiling with assumptions of Frypan’s cooking or in that Greenie’s couldn’t do anything right their first few weeks , not even eat properly. None guessing the true reason behind the coughing fit. 

“What ?” Thomas croaked once he could gather the breath to do so without eliciting anymore coughs. 

“I said you’re supposed t-...” Chuck began before being interrupted by a fierce shake of Thomas’ head. 

“No , no. Before that.” Thomas specified , expression reflecting his shock & suspicious confusion plainly “What did you say before that ?”

Chuck blanched , realising his new friend’s reaction was due to a major slip up on his part. None were supposed to reveal anything beyond the basics until the new arrivals were settled and ready. Or if circumstances required more to be told. 

“Uh , uh nothing.” Chuck mumbled , shifting away from Thomas and tucking into his breakfast with more vigour than before. 

“What ? Chuck , no , you said ‘did he show me a Greiver’” Thomas reiterated , tone growing tight in his agitation , “What the hell do you mean ‘show me a Greiver’ ? I thought no one who saw one lived to tell about it !” 

“Mm , mmhm !” The younger Glader hummed behind pressed lips , shaking his head furiously , cheeks bulged with the amount of food he cramped into his mouth. 

Sighing explosively at the other closing himself off , Thomas realising he wasn’t going to get any answer out of Chuck. Not when the kid took on the expression of a frightened child that shaved another three years off his pudgy features. Merely glaring at the other in irritation , his own curiosity burning all the brighter within his chest to stir up a myriad of speculations , theories and thoughts. 

Not all for the good , as he wondered why Newt would have so seldomly lied to him the night before. Yet he had explained that they never tell a Greenie everything all at once. Perhaps he had said that to keep Thomas in line ? Alby had said he wasn’t like the others , he was curious and thus needed to be shown the gravity of their position here. 

Decidedly troubled over this , Thomas merely pushed around the remaining food left within his bowl. No longer hungry enough to wish for seconds nor enough to even finish what the little he had left. 

“Heya , Thomas!” 

Head jerking up at the call of his name to see Newt smiling as he approached where he sat. Thomas didn’t return the blond’s greeting smile , guilt blossoming a moment later at seeing the other’s expression falter. But he couldn’t bring himself to brighten his own mood for the sake of another , only force his features into a neutral set.

Brow creasing slightly in tandem with the shrinking of his friendly grin , Newt asked , “You al’right ?”

“Ah , yeah. Just thinking.” Thomas answered quickly , glancing down then back up towards Newt.

The other’s expression didn’t change , but he nodded in understanding , “Well , sorry to interrupt but if you’re finished , I’ll show you where you’ll be workin’ today.” 

Chuck jumped up then , holding his plate and snatching Thomas’ from his hands , “I’ll take care of these! My day for dishes anyway!”

Both older Gladers stared at the youngest , both equally startled by the swiftness in which he moved but where confusion marred Newt’s raised eyebrow , annoyance narrowed Thomas’. Knowing exactly why Chuck was so eager to get away from him. 

“Eh , Sorry ‘bout ‘em.” Newt absentmindedly spoke , still staring after the young slopper a moment more then turning back to Thomas , “I’ll get ya an extra apple during lunch , on ‘em that is , for him robbin’ ya of the rest of your breakfast.” 

Thomas shook his head , “Don’t worry about it.”

“Right.” Newt drawled , staring at Thomas under a furrowed brow. 

Uncertain to the dower mood shift in the shorter boy and growing more concerned by the minute with Thomas’ state of mind , thus determined to pull the Greenie from wherever his thoughts had taken him , Newt relaxed his pinched expression , “Well , al’right then , shall we be off ? Or keep Zart , your boss for the day mind you , waitin’ on us a bit longer ?” 

Standing up , Thomas brushed off his backside of the grass and dirt that accumulated there while he sat. Following behind Newt instead of walking beside him , feeling less inclined to blindly trust. Yet an odd feeling disquiet settled within his chest at that resolvement of mind , as if warning against such action or in objection to that decision. 

“He’s a right nice guy , but don’t disrespect the crops , any plants for that matter , ‘round him.” Newt twisted back to speak with Thomas , trying to prep him for meeting the rather eccentric Keeper and also to keep the other from falling back into his own mind again , “It’s bad for ‘em anyhow , so don’t do it , but Zart’s bloody protective of each an’ everyone of ‘em leafy buggers in the gardens. Best listen an’ treat the little sprouts good.” 

Listening with a more focused ear after hearing those details , knowing he wouldn’t purposely mistreat any crop growing here but he had to wonder what counted as mistreatment to Keeper of the Track - Hoes. It seemed even speaking wrongly of the plants here would incur a hateful wrath. 

An avalanche of questions sat upon the tip of Thomas’ tongue as he followed behind Newt , but the other suddenly stopped and threw his arms wide away from his sides as if to proclaim ‘behold’ upon the landscape in front of them. 

“This , Greenie , is our gardens.” The taller Glader announced proudly , “Which you’ll be working under Zart , Keeper of the Track - Hoes , today. I’ll be joining , a Track - Hoe is my job here , when I’m not needed elsewhere. Get to spend the whole bloody day with us gardening Shanks. Lucky you !”

“Yeah. Lucky me.” Thomas muttered , false sarcasm lacing his tone to which Newt further smiled at and clapped him on the shoulder in show of shared good - humour. 

Thomas felt his own lips upturn at the other’s actions , officially deciding that Newt’s mannerisms placed him more at ease than disturbed him. Despite all their circumstances , a bit of cheer the other was able to find in the minute things seemed to lighten everyone’s spirits , not just his own. 

Whatever reason the other had for lying were his own , and he trusted that it was with his best interest in mind. The tightness that had coiled around his gut at resolving to mistrust first , question next and determine last had loosen at this new outlook. Again the instinctive sway his present thoughts held on his internal emotions befuddled Thomas. A fleeting thought towards if he should trust himself with his lack of memories and these odd feelings , but he dismissed it quickly at seeing another Glader , one with bright red hair , walking up to them. 

“Hey Newt , my turn with the Green Bean today ?” Asked Zart , wiping his hands free of the dirt that clung to them on his pants. 

“Yeah. Spent yesterday with the slicers , so thought we’d actually put ‘em to work today.” Newt jested back , turning from his fellow to eye Thomas with a look of amusement. 

To which Zart mirrored , catching onto Newt’s avenue of teasing , “Well , it’s only fitting to make him work today then. First days over , Greenie , so welcome the real Glader life!” 

Thomas smiled tightly , uncertain it Zart was still teasing in the good - humoured fashion he knew Newt was. Nodding , he accepted the shovel the Keeper passed to him. It looked to be entirely handcrafted ; the shaft a smoothly whittled branch , the blade and step from carved slate , banded together by thick intertwined rope. Simple in design , but it’s worn appearance spoke to its strength. 

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Newt clapped both Zart and Thomas on their shoulders with a steady hand , looking to their newest a moment longer , “Any questions , about gardenin’ , that is. Ask Zart , or myself. I have ta go check in with Alby , but I’ll be back. Good luck , mate.” 

“All right , Green Bean , today we’re churning up the dirt here.” Zart directed Thomas over to a patch of grass with etching in the ground to mark off the area , “It’s for the new seeds we got when you came up. Have to tear up the grass and churn the dirt before we can plant anything.” 

Thomas nodded , surveying the amount of work placed before him. Gathering a breath , he nodded again , more so in resolvement to himself to not let Zart down. ‘Do your part’ is what Alby had said when he was shown around , it was one of the three rules and there was ‘no time for freeloaders’. To prove himself as he desperately wanted to , he’d have to first show he wasn’t a someone who took advantage of kindness. Nor was he that type to simply sit on his arse while others worked. 

“Just dig it up first , then remove the grass patches then come get me and I’ll show you how to churn the dirt.” The Keeper of the Gardens instructed , pointing along the boundaries within the earth. 

“Got it.” Thomas answered , moving away to slam the tip of shovel into the grass then shoving the heel of his boot onto the beveled top of the slate to sink it further into the ground , he began to dig. 

Feeling Zart’s eyes on him for the first half hour of his work , ensuring the Greenie was doing his job correctly. Past experiences had taught them to not let the new ones on their own for long the first few weeks. Besides observing told the Keepers a lot about the potential skills , or lack of , that the newbies held , and thus allowed them to properly place them in their new jobs around the Glade. 

It took a good three hours of digging before all the grass was uprooted for Thomas to begin plucking it from the loose dirt and piling it in a single mound outside the farming square. Sweat trailed along his face , down his back , and coated his chest from his exertive efforts. Only pausing to take swallows from his water cup , something that didn’t stay cool for long but was no less refreshing each time he took a drink. The work ensuring he appreciated every drop. 

“Here.” 

Thomas looked up to see Zart standing next to him , holding out an apple to him. Leaning back to gather his feet beneath him from where he kneeled to stand upright , scrubbing off the dirt that clung to his hands on his pants before gratefully taking the proffered fruit. 

“Thanks.” It came it sounding more so like a question than statement of gratefulness , wondering if there was more behind the gesture than the obvious. 

Zart laughed , “Shank , even your thanks sound like questions.” 

Chuckling himself at that , self - aware enough to know he did ask a mountain of questions. Though he felt zero shame in it , the humour behind Zart’s comment on his own wasn’t lost on him. It seemed he already had a reputation after barely a day and a half. 

“Lunch’ll be in a few hours , but Fry always keeps a bowl of these out for anyone who wants them.” Zart explained , taking a large bite of his own apple and encouraging Thomas to do the same , then talking around his mouthful , “It’s to keep us out of his kitchen. He hates when it’s raided. So he leaves out snacks.” 

The apple was crisp and juicy. Thomas had to raise the back of his hand to catch the juices that dripped from the corner of his lips and down his chin with his shirt sleeve. 

“You do good work.” Zart glanced around at the quarter completed patch , “I may just request to keep you , whether you excel elsewhere or not.” 

Thomas shrugged , unwilling to voice his hidden desire to be a runner just yet , instead he offered up , “It’s definitely better than working as a Slicer.” 

Zart slapped him on the back , laughing as if Thomas had told the best joke he’d ever heard , “You bet it is !”

All the shorter Glader could do was blink , then smile politely and nod , pretending to understand the humour to his words. Biting into his apple again to ward off any anticipation of a reply from him. The red headed Keeper too munching into his own apple , finishing it in a whomping six bites. Eating core , seeds , stem and all. 

“Looks like you’ll finish before lunch.” Zart wiped at his mouth , nodding towards Thomas’ partially finished work , “Remember to come get me when you're done. I’ll show you how to churn the dirt.” 

“You got it.” Thomas affirmed , then awkwardly handed off his apple core when Zart motion to take it from him. 

“Compost pile.” Was the only explanation Thomas received before he was again left alone to finish his assigned work. 

He did end up finishing before lunch , over an hour and a half to go , and locating Zart was easy enough. It seemed the boy rarely left the gardens during the day. Newt rejoined them shortly into Zart teaching lesson on how to properly prepare the dirt for planting. A very detailed lesson , diverted for a few moments while Newt and Zart discusses which plants in the patch next to the on being cultivated needed pruning. 

Only several handful of minutes later did Newt interrupt Zart’s demonstration and Thomas’ line of questioning , pointing out the need of fertiliser for several rows in the patch after he was done cutting the superfluous leaves from the low growing plants. Zart agreed , to which Thomas found himself equipped with a bucket and hand shovel to go collect fertiliser. 

At least , he thought , it was under shade of the small woods’ tree canopy and out from under the hot sun. 

“Think he’ll get lost like Fynn did ?” Zart asked , smiling broadly at the memory. 

It was funny to think of and allude to now , at the time however it had placed the entire Galde on alert until they found Fynn sitting between the root of a tree that integrated itself into the small stream that cut the woods in half , the boy was moping as he idly twirled a twig in the water below his perch. He started so badly when Gally yelled to him and hollered about finding him , that Fynn had slipped to fall into the stream. But the kid had been so grateful not to be left to find his own way out that he’d tackled Gally in a bear hug , which marked one of the only times Gally ever showed any form of tenderness when around more than one pair of eyes. 

A happening still whispered about by those who were there to pass the story along to those who came after. 

“Mm , Thomas seems ta have more goin’ on upstairs. He’s smart.” Newt countered , smiling though at the memory as well , “Though too bloody curious for his own good. Goin’ ya be trouble that one is.” 

“You said it , brother.” The Track - Hoe Keeper agreed , bending over to pick up the discarded shovel to continue working the dirt while the Greenie was busy , “Never been asked so many questions in all that I can remember.” 

Newt scoffed a laugh , no trace of annoyance within his tone , mirth colouring it instead , “You should of heard him this morning. Bloody near interrogated me , he asked so many. I don’t think he’s got a bottom to the pit of questions of his.” 

Snorting at Newt’s word choice , the description fitting their latest Greenie perfectly , “Well good thing you’ve got enough patience for us all.” 

The sudden sound of hollering had Zart whipping around to face the dense tree line and drew Newt’s attention away from his trimming of the bushel he crouched before. Brows drawn together in both confusion and worry over the noise , Newt stood from his position with a wary glance around , intending to investigate the yells if nothing immediate was forthcoming. Yet just then , Thomas broke through the dense woods at a breakneck pace with Ben right behind him. 

Eyes widening at the scene , the blond leapt forward , snatching the discarded shovel , his limp hindering him none in his race towards the now fighting pair. Thomas’ continued screams indicating easily that this wasn’t a provoked attack nor was it a friendly spar or game. The Greenie was in serious trouble.

Thus Newt didn’t give it much more thought , aside from freeing Thomas from Ben , as he brought up the shovel and swung it around right into Ben’s head. Succeeding in knocking him down and away from his target , immediately dropping forward to restrain the crazed Runner. 

“What’re you doing !” The words slipped past his lips on reflex , anger completely absent , mere bewilderment spurring the tone as his worry blossomed to concern at noticing the other’s pallor and extremely bloodshot eyes. 

Others had swarmed towards the fight now rushed to help restrain the struggling Runner , all wearing the same worried expression with lacings of a startled confusion within their eyes. Until Alby came to crouch beside them and ordered Ben’s shirt be lifted , only to reveal a nasty vien - spindled puncture wound on the Runner’s abdomen. Ben had been stung. 

“Med - Jack !” Newt called at seeing the grotesque wound , allowing Stan to slid forward to take over restraining Ben’s right arm so Newt could back away and allow more room be made for their Med - Jacks. 

At the revelation , it became clear to all what had truly caused the Runner’s early return and subsequent violent behaviour. Jeff and Clint had came forward then , one quickly administering a syringe filled with a translucent blue liquid and the other quickly directing the strongest present to take him to their tent. Gally , Alby , Stan , Wyck , and Zart manhandled the more subdued version of Ben towards the Med - Jack’s domain. 

“You al’right ?” Newt directed this question at Thomas , the Greenie still held a wide eyed look of bewildered fear. 

Thomas’ breath was laboured , clutching his left arm closely to his chest and his stance a slight slumped in sudden exhaustion at the ebbing of adrenaline. He remained seated on the grass where he fell to after Ben had been centre attention and been carted away. Frame now trembling minutely , sweat that coated his forehead , neck and back cooling in the afternoon’s breeze to allow a trace of a chill to seep into his skin. 

He made to nod , mind and body numb to its hurts for the moment , breathlessly answering in tandem with the motion , “Yeah. Yeah , ‘m fine.” 

A single eyebrow rose at hearing that , Newt nodded towards Thomas’ arm , “Won’t mind if I take a look at that ‘til Clint or Jeff can do so ?”

Nodding repeatedly , a small series of motions as he unwrapped his uninjured hand from his injured arm to extended it towards Newt. A great show of trust in light of the events of the last several minutes. So new was he still that any trust gained could have been easily broken in that instant , what was supposed to be a set and abided by rule done away with so very easily. 

Newt’s brow furrowed at seeing the swelling already taking place along the limb , the deep bruises darkening the flesh a grotesque purple and blue. Where Ben’s fingernails had craved crescent shaped grooves into the battered skin , a bright crimson painted over the blackening bruises , that continued to bleed freely down his forearm. 

Gently reaching out his own hands to gingerly grab hold of Thomas’ arm , angling it more towards the sun to get a better look at it. Realising internal damage was a real possibility with the extent of the bruising and swelling of the limb , Newt’s expression became pinched in concern and sympathy over the pains the other would suffer should the bones beneath the skin be broken. 

“A Med - Jack needs to see to this , I’m afraid.” Newt proclaimed , eyes narrowed in tandem with a deepening of his frown , knowing that the injury would hurt a lot once Thomas calmed enough to shake off the shock , “While the cuts don’t seem deep , it’s still an open wound , infection’s a good possibility if not cleaned and bandaged. The bruising though is what has me worried. Did you hear a snap or feel anything give when he grabbed you here ?”

Features pale in the bright sunlight , highlighted so by the sweat that beaded along his forehead and slipped down his temples , Thomas had bit at his lower lip during Newt’s examination. Awareness of his injuries crashing over him more rapidly than he expected , aches making themselves known throughout his frame. Although none worse than that felt in his arm , even the most delicate touch sent a lacing of pain up his arm. Striving to remain quiet , to stoically bear the discomfort whilst Newt looked it over. 

At hearing Newt’s question , Thomas’ gaze flicked up from surveying his own wound , blinking slowly as he shifted through what happened. The only thought he had had was to get away , all else , he realised , was vaguely blurred in his recall. While he hadn’t heard a crack nor seen his arm give beneath Ben’s grip , he had certainly felt the initial pain of the injury. Adrenaline had quickly masked it as he attempted to continue to fight then flee from his unwitting attacker. 

“Uh , yeah , I mean no.” Thomas answered , tongue darting out to lick his lips , “I didn’t hear it , but I felt it.”

“Hold it close to your chest , like you were doin’.” Newt instructed , gently releasing his hold on Thomas’ arm then leaning back on his hunches , a hand coming up to trace his forefinger along his lips in a nervous gesture. 

Greatly wishing he could bite his nails , a nervous habit he held and hadn’t been able to shake nor truly hide from the others. Yet he tried to control the impulse whenever he caught himself thinking on it or doing it. Still it bested him at times , but not now. Not when faced with a rattled and injured Greenie , as well as several spectators looking to him for direction whilst Alby and Gally handled a combative Ben. 

Glancing up towards the congregated Glader surrounding them , Newt pointed to the first one he saw , “Tim , go check n’ see if they can spare Clint or Jeff yet. We need ta get Tommy’s arm looked at.” 

Tone brokering no argument , a tenor they rarely heard from the usually pacified SIC , had Tim squeezing past the others to run in the direction where the Med - Jacks had disappeared with Ben. Newt however wasn’t finished with his orders , not standing to his feet but his expression and tone alone had the attention of the Gladers off Thomas and onto him. 

“Lee , could ya go soak a some rags in the water barrel.The colder the better.” With Lee dispatched , Newt turned his attention to the rest of the assembled group , “An’ the rest of ya , back ta your work please ! We’ve got this ‘andle ‘ere.” 

The crowd dispersed at his word , some more slowly than others but all progressing away from the scene. Frypan caught Newt’s eye , incling his head to show he’d be over in the cookhouse , just to the left of their position , if anything was needed. To which Newt acknowledge with a grateful lift of his own head. 

“Here.” Came Chuck’s voice as he kneeled beside the pair , extending a worn cup out to Thomas , gaze flicking from Newt to Thomas in a show of uncertainty , “It’s water.”

His breath still uneven and a slight laboured , Thomas opted to simply nod in thanks to the younger Glader whilst gingerly removing his good hand from where it helped cradle his injured one to accept the cup from Chuck. Although his hand shook minutely once he held the full weight of it , he was able to keep it steady and bring to his lips. Drinking several sips before passing it back. Glad for the cool liquid on his throat , which was more parched than he realised from working and the desperate yelling for help he had just did. 

Chuck accepted it back , but kept it close by should Thomas want more while they waited for either Clint or Jeff to return. The youngest felt pride sweep within when Newt flashed him a small smile and nodded in show of him having done good work. Not often was he praised for his actions , and he was glad that he’d been able to help. 

The fact Thomas had remained so quiet , not a single question or implying comment spoken by the usually abundantly curious Greenie , now had Newt worried for him past the physical injuries he held. Wondering if this would be the breaking point for the newest Glader. They had told him trust was paramount here , that never should a Glader harm another Glader , and yet the Greenie ( the ones they sought to protect to the best of their ability ) had experienced just that. Well it seemed Thomas would be receiving more of the answers he sought so ardently. 

If the other even still possessed the curiosity he once held after this. 

“Here ! Here , I got them!” Lee came sprinting up , steps near stumbling in his attempts to slow before reaching them , “I got the rags. Cold as I could get.” 

Newt relieved the other Track - Hoe’s hands of the soaked rags , noticing no dirt from the day’s work was on the cloth , which brought a grateful smile to the Second’s lips , “Thanks , Lee. Much appreciated , mate.”

Lee simply nodded before moving to stand back a ways , but not leaving the area in case he was sent for more rags or anything else that may be needed. 

Turning his attention back to Thomas , the taller Glader scooter forward on his knees until he sat directly in front of him. Indicating the other’s injured arm , Newt held up one of the cold rags. 

“This’ll ease the swelling. It’ll be cold and will sting a bit , yes , but it’ll help in the long run.” Newt explained , expression empathically concerned , “Mind if we give it go ?”

Thomas shook his head , indicating he didn’t mind , before moving to extend his arm outwards again. Only to be blindsided by a fiery agony lacing up the entirety of his arm , stopping the movement in its tracks to reverse the motion and clutch the injured appendage tightly to his chest once more. Curling over his arm with shape groan , he sound near muted by his teeth’s vice - like clasp of his lower lip. 

“Al’right , it’s al’right , Thomas.” Newt soothed , having jerked forward at watching Thomas’ face pale and the subsequent cowering in obvious pain , “Breathe through it. It’ll ease , I promise.”

The sound of footsteps racing towards them had Newt turning to see Jeff slowing to drop to his knees beside the pair , absentmindedly seeing an out of breath Chuck struggling to complete the sprint back to the lot of them. He hadn’t even seen the kid leave to fetch a Med - Jack. 

“What happened ?” Jeff asked , his gaze roving over Thomas’ form to note his posture and obvious signs of injury. 

“Looks like Ben broke his arm , it’s swellin’ pretty bad and it’s already bruisin’.” Newt quickly relayed all he had observed from his brief examination of the injury , “There’s some cuts down his forearm too , think it was Ben’s fingernails.” 

Jeff nodded in acknowledgment , but his eyes remained on his patient , leaning forward to try to catch Thomas’ gaze , “Hey , brother. Can I take a look at your arm ? Promise once I know what’s goin’ on , I can do somethin’ to fix it.” 

After a moment Thomas lifted his head , sweat now beaded along his forehead to drip down his temples and matte the edges of his hair down. That combined with the near white pallor and staccato beat to his breathing rate indicated the amount of pain his injury was causing him. Yet still he unclasped his good hand from where it helped cradle his swollen arm , although he made no move to bring it closer for examination. 

The Med - Jack too what he could though and simply leaned forward more to pass a critical eye over the damaged appendage. Realising after only a moment’s glance that Newt was correct in it being broken , he just wouldn’t know how bad until he could physically examine the arm. But out in the middle of Glade was no place for that. 

“Ain’t the worst I’ve seen , but we have to get you to the Med - Tent.” Jeff told Thomas , before turning to Newt , “Help me , will you ?” 

Newt didn’t hesitate to leaned his support , moving closer to throw Thomas’ good arm over his shoulder and help the slighter short lad up to his feet. Tightening his hold to steady Thomas when he swayed once upright , easily taking more of the other’s weight until he could stand more so on his own. Receiving a small nod from burnet , Newt looked to Jeff who stood close by but was occupied with pulling two green leaves from a pouch in his bag and then gently prying Thomas’ mouth open to slide the small leaves in. 

“Chew it , and keep chewing it until I say you can swallow it.” Jeff instructed. 

It was an herb Newt was intimately familiar with , having been given it numerous times for chronic pain and muscle spasms in his leg after breaking it. He was glad Jeff had some on hand , perhaps it would calm Thomas and ease some of the pain he felt until the Med - Jacks could concoct a stronger remedy to dispel pain. 

Their pace was slow in crossing the distance to the Med - Tent , set to keep Thomas from stumbling any , although the seemed to rally somewhat half way there to walk with a faster and steadier gait. Probably due to the little leaves working their medicinal magic. Newt still keep ahold of him , however , to ensure no further injury would come to the other if he were to trip or grow dizzy. 

“You still doin’ al’right, Thomas ?” He asked quietly , leaning his head close to catch Thomas’ corab coloured eyes with his own hickory hued ones. 

A flicker of a smile twitched at the corner of Thomas’ colourless lips , eyes clouded with unvoiced pain peered from under half mast eyelids towards Newt , offering a noncommittal hum in reply. Unable to bring himself to coordinate speaking around the wet lump of leaves in his mouth. 

Clint met them at the threshold of the tent , directing them over an empty bed. The only place in the Glade that held wood constructed cots instead of hammocks , there were few but enough to house six. And then only when those were too injured or sick to return to their own bunks. 

Gingerly shuffling through towards the bed , Newt helped Thomas to sit down , he quietly asked “You good ?” 

Thomas’ eyes rolled a moment before swivelling to meet Newt’s , offering a jerky nod and flat smile , “‘M good.” 

At that , Newt slid his arm from around Thomas’ back so he could stand up and move out of the way to let the Med - Jacks work without clutter. Hovering at the edge of the large room , but close enough to observe and assist if needed. Arms coming up to fold across his chest. His thumbnail finding its way into his mouth , teeth biting without any true force , simply gnawing at the short nail bed to give his nervous energy an outlet. Alby slid into the room to stand next to his second - in - command a minute later , nodding at Newt’s inquerying look to signal Ben was settle to the best of their ability. Their immediate concern being Thomas at the moment. 

“Thomas , I’m going to have to move your arm away from your chest to examine it.” Clint explained , hunched low to keep Thomas within eye level , “It will hurt , but the sooner we know what we’re dealing with , the sooner we can treat it. Understand?” 

Thomas swallowed thickly , not wanting to feel the level of pain he had out in the field , but knowing it had to be done so his arm could be fixed. Logic and reason warred with emotion and anxiety. Inhaling deeply , feeling his heart hammering within his chest and the tightness along his ribcage in anxious anticipation of severe pain , in hopes to calm himself. Mentally telling himself repeatedly it would be a momentary pain ; they would figure out how best to treat him after the examination and then the pain would ease. 

Licking his lips , mouth suddenly very dry , Thomas nodded , “Do what you have to.” 

Reaching forward , Clint gently grasped the arm , mindful of the deep bruises blossomed along the length of the forearm , to gingerly extend it outwards. Gaze flicking towards Thomas at hearing an sharply inhaled hiss of air , an immediate verbalisation of pain , and paused a moment , gauging his patient’s tolerance and readiness. Proceeding only at receiving a look and nod from younger boy. 

It took a few more pauses , but soon Thomas’ arm was far enough away from his body for Clint to visually inspect the damage. The extent of the swelling and bruising indicted a break , although no obvious deformity could be seen. A swift glance at Jeff confirmed his thoughts. 

“Okay , Thomas. I’m going to have to press along your arm to feel for the break.” Clint’s stoic expression tinged with sympathy as he spoke , “I won’t lie , it will hurt worse than moving it , but I’ll be as quick as I can. This is the only way for us to know where the break is , how many there are , if it needs setting and how to splint it correctly.” 

Grimacing at the thought of anything touching his arm , Thomas hesitated before nodding his consent the next second. Not giving himself time to truly think about the events that would follow. Fearing he’d be unable to voluntarily subject himself to it , despite knowing that leaving his arm as it was would spell a horrid prognosis. Thus he tried to distract himself from what was to come. 

Ignoring when Clint motioned Newt and Alby over , and sent Jeff to grab the nearest capable Glader he could find outside. Needing that many people to examine his arm merely served to increase his nerves. 

“Newt c’mere and hold his right side at the shoulder and forearm , yes good.” Clint instructed , merely for Thomas’ benefit since Newt and Jeff had helped restrain combative patients many times before , “Winston , at the hips then lay along his legs. Alby stand behind his head to hold his left shoulder , you’ll help me splint once I’m ready.” 

Thomas’ breathing had sped up unwittingly at being held down , their holds not restraining yet but once Clint moved closer to his side and moved to grasp his injured arm with with his other hand , Newt and Jeff near pressed him through the cot with the force they held him down with. Irritation at the absence of warning fled once Clint began palpating along his forearm as a white hot fire blazed down to his fingertips and up into his left side chest. 

An agonised scream tore up from Thomas’ throat , unable to quench the unearthly volume nor dampen the outpouring of physical torment the sound held. His head thrown back to press into the flat pillow that lay underneath it , frame sprung taunt as he attempted to twist away from the source of his pain. Unwavering hands of seemingly immense strength kept his wayward movements at bay , eliciting a more desperate outcry to rip through his larynx. 

“It’s nearly done , Tommy. Almost finished , he is.” Newt had started up a continuous stream of comments at seeing fat tears slid from the corner of Thomas’ eyes , attempting to call the suffering lad back from the pain induced stupor he’d fallen into , “Remember last time. It eased as I said it would. Just breath. Remember that , breathe through it.” 

Feeling along the swollen flesh , Clint focused slowly on locating the break within the bone beneath the skin , ignoring his patient’s cries in order to efficiently finish his examination and stop exacerbating his pain. A depression then minute shift beneath his fingers told the experienced Med - Jack all he needed to know ; both bones within the arm were broken but not displaced. No setting of the bone was needed.Thus noting exactly where he felt the inconsistency within the bones of the arm , Clint looked to Alby who shifted his hold on Thomas to allow the Med - Jack to accept the proffered herbs from Jeff. 

The congealed mixture of various other plants spread along a broad green leaf , large and thick compared to the natural structure of most leaves. Carefully balancing the weighted lead between both hands , Clint gently placed it , poultice side against the worst of the break , on Thomas’ arm. 

Involuntarily , Thomas bucked his hips in vain attempts to throw off his human restraints. Any touch to the injury , however soft or well intended , caused an elicit flare of fire to seemingly course through his very viens. Leaving him choked for oxygen as it snatch the breath from his lungs in his vehement shouts of agony , only to be rendered gasping and withering underneath the unrelenting holds of his would - be helpers. 

“Keep him down!” Snapped Clint , although his efforts hadn’t been knocked loose , he needed his current assistants to worry less about their guilt or whatever thoughts kept them from pinning Thomas to the cot with all their strength , life threatening or possibly life altering wounds came first to personal feelings.

Noting the subtle shift in everyone’s posture , the widening of their stances to lower their centre of gravity and ensure their weight was placed into their holds , Clint finished encircling the large leaf around his patient’s arm. Keeping one hand on the end fold of leaf bandage , the older Med - Jack allowed Jeff to room to begin encasing it with gauze , taking over once there were enough layers to ensure the leaf would slip from its position. Using the whole roll to secure the herb beneath and wrap between the thumb and forefinger to secure the wrist. 

With that stage completed , Clint grabbed the two sticks with his free hand , whittled until smooth and flat on two sides , to brace outside along the two bones underneath the inflamed and distended skin. Expertly holding them in place , despite his patient’s continued squirming and vocalisations of pain , and wrapping a wide cloth bandage around the sturdy twigs and thusly the arm. 

Securing it properly before taking another set of identical sticks Jeff passed to him. One on the top and bottom of the arm just past the wrist to keep it from moving while the break healed. Binding them with a thicker bandage , covering the entirety of the splint. It tightened enough to make certain no movement could occur ; of the appendage or carefully whittled sticks , but not so enough to cut circulation off to the fingers. And after checking it was applied without flaut , the Keeper of the Med - Jacks released his hold on Thomas’ arm. 

Instinctively the injured Glader clutched it to his chest , attempting move against the hands holding him down to curl around it on his side. A muted whimper slipping past his clench teeth and thinly pressed lips 

Neither Newt , Alby or Jeff could release their own holds on the hurting Glader , fearing the a violent or harmful reaction , until they could get Thomas to acknowledge them and prove his understanding once more. The last thing they needed was for him to hurt himself worse or undo all the work Clint had done. 

“Hey , hey , Thomas.” Newt leaned over to look into Thomas’ face , “It’s over , it’s over. We’re gonna let ya up , but ya got to let us know ya won’t freak out on us. Can’t have ya undoin’ all of Clint’s work now can we ?” 

Struggling to focus past the severe throbbing emitting from his arm , expanding upwards and downwards until he ached throughout the entirety of his upper left side , Thomas fought to centre his attention on the kind face above his. Blinking past the blur created by involuntarily shed tears. Their tracts traced lines down his temples to intermingle with the rivulets of sweat that still beaded along his forehead. 

“Once he’s ready , he needs to take these.” Jeff came forward with a cup of water and two pills , both circular in shape but one white and the other orange. 

It was a true rarity the box provided medicine , aside from the grief serum , the Med - Jacks had only received a small chest of bottles with simple instruction of their uses. Two types of pain medication and three for infections. A limited supply as no more had come up in the box since. Everything else needed for any sort of medicines they had to grow , cultivate and combine to treat less severe ailments or injuries. Only select few cases , those dire enough to call for it , were ever were given pills. 

“Jeff’s got somethin’ for ya. To help with the pain , got that ?” Newt returned to addressing Thomas , his brow pinched and dark eyes ellipsed with the depth of his concern , “We’re gonna let you up now. Take it slow though , you understand me Thomas ?”

Tongue darting out to lick at his dry lips , it doing little as his mouth lack any proper moisture , swallowing helped no more than to irritate the soreness of his throat. Giving up on forming words , Thomas simply nodded to show that he did understand. 

Newt looked over to Alby then Winston with a swift nod , “Let ‘em up lads.” 

Each slowly let up on their holds , moving with caution should Thomas adversely react despite his assurance , but at seeing the Greenie was handling it well , they stood up and backed away to let Jeff come over. Newt stayed beside the cot , reaching down to help Thomas sit up after his two attempts to rise in his own proved futile. Easing him upright , receiving a small smile of thanks in return , so Thomas could shakily pop the pills into his mouth and grasp the cup to swallow them back. 

“Can I drink the rest of this ?” Thomas hoarsely asked , indicting the little bit of water that was still left in the cup. 

It was the first words they heard from the Greenje since the worst of this ordeal began , it relieved the whole of the group to hear him more coherent and the fact it had been a request for something. Even something as simple as some water. 

“Yeah.” Jeff answered , “And if you need more , we’ll get you more.” 

Raising the cup back to his lips , Thomas downed the rest of it. Glad for the cool liquid to soothe the soreness at the back of his throat and quench the dryness that plagued his mouth , it also serving to clear his head and alleviate the heat that swept through his frame during the procedure. 

“You good ?” Asked Jeff when Thomas handed him back the cup.

“Yeah , I’m good.” He replied. 

Jeff stood up , pausing to look back down at Thomas , “Those pills we gave you should kick in pretty fast so don’t try to get up. They’ll knock you out for awhile too. If you need something , ask someone. I or Clint will always be in the room here.” 

“Thanks guys.” Thomas murmured , voice still a slight hoarse and somewhat distant as the influences of the pills beginning to work at dulling his mind to the pain. 

It made him feel momentarily lightheaded. Newt still at his side , alert and steady presence there , tensed as his frame caught more of Thomas’ weight. Worriedly sending a startled look over to Jeff , who merely shook his head and lift a corner of his lips in his version of a smile. 

“It’s just the meds kicking in.” Jeff explained easily , adding in quick afterthought , “Better lie him down before he drops all the way.” 

Taking the advice as law , Newt shifted his position and hold to help ease Thomas back onto the cot. Reassuring him that Newt had him when in a brief panic Thomas made to lunge forward at the sensation of tipping backwards. Once flat again , Newt helped draw the cot’s thin blanket over Thomas lithe frame. Alby making quick work of Thomas’ shoe laces and gingerly pulling off the dirt dusted boots before flipping the blanket over Thomas’ feet once more. 

The Leaders moving in tandem to settle their fellow Glader. Years spent in each other’s company and living through shared experiences , from the good to the bad and worst then back again , had the pair easily able to anticipate the other’s intentions. Their ability to communicate via a mere look or gesture , just as they could do so with Minho as well , still confused many of the other Gladers. It working in their favour more times than not , during times such as this it proved a great asset. 

Alby inclines his head at Newt , signalling he’d be heading out. Knowing he would be first addressing the awaiting Gladers milling about their work , never would they be able to return fully to their tasks after a grand disturbance such as this without word on their fellow Gladers’ conditions. It was an effect of their close knit unity , one that Alby hoped to appease any worries or wariness with news that Ben and Thomas were still under care but recovering. 

Newt nodded back , telling him with a simple hand movement that he’d join him once he ensured Thomas was set. With that Alby left , and Newt looked back towards Thomas , whose eyes had become a slight glazed due to the medication and it seemed to be a fight to keep his eyes from closing entirely. 

“I or Chuck will bring ya dinner after ya wake and when it’s ready , whichever’s first.” Newt gently patted Thomas leg as he stood to follow Alby out , but at seeing the downed Glader pry his eyelids open and attempt to protest , he insisted , “Sleep. That’s an order. One I can get Alby an’ Clint to second , if needed.” 

Closing his mouth , Thomas relented. There was little fight left in him at present after such an ordeal. Finally feeling the effects of whatever Jeff gave him pulling at his consciousness , dragging at him to give in and sleep. Eyelids drooping as a fog began to settled along his mind to cloud his senses and warm him from the inside out , he watched the blurry shape of Newt disappear from sight before letting sleep claim him entirely. 

_TBC._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Whelp there’s chapter 2 , which turned way longer than I had intended , even with chopping it in half to make chapter 1. I doubt any other chapters with exceed 8k+ words , or even meet 5k with some , but it won’t ever drop below 3k ever. Honestly I don’t have a strict word count for each chapter so it may fluctuate between 3k to 6k+. Fair warning. 
> 
> But I hope you liked it ! & as always , if you wish to , please tell me how you liked it. Whether for the good or bad. Constructive criticism is welcome as well. Or any comments / questions you wish to share. 
> 
> **Note :** The bread eaten during breakfast is called Chapati , an unleavened Indian style bread baked with flour , salt & water. It’s very bland , but super easy to make. Usually paired with spicy dishes such as curry , but in The Glade it’s paired with most meals. 
> 
> **Note #2 :** The berries eaten are blackberries. They possess signifient fiber , Vitamin C & Vitamin K thus have health benefits along with being a natural sweet for the Gladers to enjoy. 
> 
> **Note #3:** The herb we see Jeff first use is mint leaves ( they have a calming effect on patients  & are a minor analgesic while dispelling with any nausea or dizziness that may occur due to injuries ). The next set of herb Clint and Jeff use while in the tent is a poultice made from aloe vera ( used to soothe minor cuts / burns ) & comfrey ( used to treat broken bones / torn ligaments ) wrapped in broadleaf plantain ( use as an antibiotic / antimicrobial ) underneath the bandages. 
> 
> **Note #4:** A small headcanon of mine is , all Med - Jacks are equipped with basic yet mandatory herbs for an assortment of common injuries / ailments. As I feel the Med - Jacks would have to come to know herb healing since it seems WCKD wants the Mazes to be as self - sufficient as possible , thus providing seeds  & them growing their own medicines , while providing a little bit of instructions on dosages / uses , & they won’t have to continually ship in medicines like they seemingly have do with the grief serum & bandages. 
> 
> **Note #5:** Another small headcanon I have is that all Runners have basic first aid training , a necessity when running the Maze , especially when doing so alone. Which Newt would have knowledge of as he used to be a Runner , thus the purpose of his deployment of minor treatment measures before the Med - Jacks arrive. Also prior experience with broken bones gave him that knowledge as well … but that’s an entirely different chapter. 
> 
> I am not a herbalist or formally educated in herb healing , this is all from research done in books & on the internet. Thus please do not take this as a medical fact , & keep in mind dosages may differ from person to person as well as allergic reactions / overdoses may occur if you aren’t careful. Always consult a licensed medical professional before taking any herbal supplements , consuming wild herbs , or using herbal treatments.


End file.
